Container



Sept. 6, 1938.

B. w. BROWN CONTAINER Fil ed March 23, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 B. W. BROWNSept. 6, 1938.

CONTAINER Filed March 23, 1936 2 sheets-snee vz Patented Sept. 6, 1938PATENT OFFiCE C(DNTR Bradford W. Brown, Northbrook, Ill., assignor toContainer Corporation of America, Chicago, lliL, a corporation ofDelaware Application March 23, 1936, Serial No. 70,246

4 Claims.

The present invention relatesto containers which are particularlyadapted for the packing of ice cream and other edible materials whichare intended to be made up in individual packages be eaten directly fromthe container. One object of the invention is to provide a relativelyliquid-tight container capable of being manufactured in complete form atthe box plant so that the container may be set up by the user withoutrequiring any special machinery or without use of fastening devicesother than the partsof the container itself.

A further object of'the invention is to provide asimple and effectiveconstruction of container including retaining means for a cover adaptedto engage with parts on the cover to hold the same securely in placewhen the cover is assembled with the container.

A further Bbject is to provide a container of the type above describedwhich will be extremely simple in form and easy to set up and use andwhich will be 'efiective for the pu pose intended.

To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvementsand-combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullydescribed, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the endof the specification.

, In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the container set up withthe cover in place;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary detail showing the manner of retaining the coveron the container;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view of the blank of the body portion of the container;

Fig. 5 is a view of the closure blank;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a modified form of container; v

Fig. '7is a fragmentary detail view, similar to Fig. 2, showing themanner of retaining the cover on the container;

Fig. 8 is a view of the blank of the body portion of the container; and

Fig. 9 is a view of the closure bank similar to Fig. 5. v

, The container of the present invention, as herein disclosed,'comprisesa tapered tray portion or container proper and a cover portion adaptedto be retained in place on the container so as to be secure fromaccidental displacement. Referring more particularly to the drawings,

. the container proper designated at l comprises abottom 2,side'walls3and landendwallsi and 6 which are preferably formed with out I wardlytapered edges. The side walls 3 and l are provided respectively at theirends with flaps 3a., 3b and 4a, 4b. These flaps are formed withconventional interlocking portions which engage with each other toretain the container in as- 5 sembled or set-up condition, seeparticularly Fig. l l. The end walls 5 and 6 are, in thepresentinstance, first folded inwardly in assembling the container so that theywill lie inside of the assembled interlocking flaps 3a, 6a; and 3b, 41).Due 10 to the construction just described it is apparent that thecontainer may be set up and retained in condition to effectively holdthe material. Other conventional means could, if desired, be employed toretain the side walls in container 15 forming position. I I

The cover for the container preferably comprises a closure panel Ihaving side extensions 8,

- 8 and end extensions 9, 9 alldeflned from the closure panel by thescore lines indicated. By 20 folding inwardly the side and endextensions 8,

9, and 9, 9 it will be observed that a'recessed closure is formed whichwill flt within the top of the container l with the upper edges of theextension lying substantially flush with the .upper edges of the sidewalls of the container. The

extensions are preferably flared toward their outer ends so that whenthey are bent upwardly the sides of the cover thus formed willsubstantially conform to the taper of the side walls of upwardly theprojections ID will extend outward- 1y of the cover and will remain insubstantially the same plane as theplane of the closure-pan.-

el 1. When theextensions 9, 9 are thus bent upwardly an opening II willbe provided in each extension within which can be retained the 5 ends ofa spoon, if desired, in the manner shown in my copending application,Serial No.- 36,759, filed August 19, 1935. I

Retaining portions are provided on the con tainer I, which, in thepresent instance, are conveniently formed by providing extensions l2, I!

on the walls 5 and 6, which extensions are adapted to be folded inwardlyagainst the inner faces of the side walls 5 and 6 and may, if desired,be

securedby means of adhesive. These extensions i2, I: thus formrelatively narrow abutment members or retaining strips on the innerfaces of the side walls 5 and 6: and the projections it, It on the coverare adapted to snap into place beneath the lower edge of these strips soas to retain the cover in place on the container. Itis to be understoodthat the overall length of the cover through the projections l0, I0 issubstantially equal to the corresponding interior dimension of thecontainer when the coverds in place thereon. Due to this relationship itis apparent that, when the cover is being inserted,

the projections it, It bear against the inner faces their originalplanecondition in which the extensions 9, 9 on the cover will lie flatagainst the strips I2, i2 and the extensions 8, 8 on the cover will lieflat against the side walls 3 and 4, thus making a substantiallyliquid-tight container which is well suited for the packaging of frozenconfections, such as ice cream.

Referring to the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 6to 9, inclusive. the body portion of the container comprises a bottom22,

side walls 23, 24, 25 and 25 and the locking flaps 23a, 23b, 24a and2412. These parts are similar to the corresponding parts illustrated inFigs. 1 to 5. Reinforcing strips 230 and 260, in this form of theinvention, are provided respectively on walls 23 and 28. These stripsare designed to be folded inwardly and to be adhesively secured to theinner faces of their attached walls to thus give these walls a greaterrigidity along their upper edges than theywould otherwise normally have.Extensions 32, 22 are provided on the walls 25 and 26, each of theseextensions being somewhat U-shaped toprovide additional tab-likeextended portions 32a, 32a at the extremities of the extensions 82. Thefree edge 32c of the central portion of the flaps 32 will perform thesame function as the free edge of strip l2 in the form of the inventionshown in Figs. 1 to.5, namely, to retain the cover from upwarddisplacement.

The extended portions 32a, 32a serve to reinforce the container adjacentits corners and permit the container to be made from lighter stock ingside extensions 28, 28 and end extensions 25 and 29, the cover beingalso formed to include projections 30, 30, all of which features aresubstantially the same as the features illustrated would be required inthe event these reinforcing portionsare dispensed with.

In the use of the modified form of the con tainer, the extensions 32, 32will be folded in- 0 wardly against their respective attached walls 25and 26 and will preferably be secured in place by suitable adhesive.container will be secured thereto as in the previously described formmerely by forcing the cover within the top part of the container so thatthe The cover portion of the projections 28, 30 on the cover engagebeneath 'the edges 32c, 32c.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that a convenient andeifective form of container for edible materials is provided which canbe packed flat for shipment to the user and by him readily set up andassembled without requiring special equipment. Due to the use of theinturned strips under the edges of which the projections on the coverare adapted to interlock, an efiective means for retaining the cover isprovided without the use of an opening through the side walls.- Theelimination of such an opening in the side walls prevents the loss ofcontents and insures maximum cleanliness .and freedom fromcontamination. These features, together with the feature ofsimplification of construction whereby the cover for the container maybe readily assembled and removed, make the present container verydesirable from both a sanitary and operations standpoint.

While the present description setsvforth a preferred embodiment of theinvention, certain changes may be made in the construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore desiredthat the present embodiment be considered in all respects asillustrative and not restrictive, reference being bad to the appendedclaims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope ofthe invention.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a bottom and four side. walls, a recessedcover portion comprising a closure panel having upwardly'foldedextensions thereon, projecting portions on said cover portion lying inthe plane of said closure panel and disposed on two opposite edgesthereof and of a length such that the over-all dimension of the cover issubstantially equal to the corresponding normal interior dimension ofthe container, andl locking abutments comprising strips of paperboardsecured flat against the upper portions of the interior faces of twoopposite side walls, the bottom' edges of said abutments adapted to beengaged by the projecting portions on the cover to retain the cover inoperative position on the container, said upwardly folded extensionslying loosely in unsecured relation against the outer surfaces of saidlocking abutments.

2. A container comprising a bottom and four side walls, two oppositeside walls having extensions thereon adapted to be folded down andsecured to the inner faces of said side walls and terminating near theupper edges thereof, a recessed cover portion comprising a closure panelhaving upwardly folded extensions thereon, projecting portions on saidcover portion disposed on two opposite edges thereof, said projectingportions extending beyond the plane of said upwardly folded extensionsand being adapted to engage beneath the lateral edges of the inwardlyfolded extensions on the side walls when the closure is in operativeposition on the container, said upwardly folded extensions lying againstthe outer surface of said side wall extensions.

3. A container comprising a bottom and four sidewalls, an extension onthe upper edge of each side wall, the extensions on two opposite sidewalls having additional tab-like extensions at each end thereof adaptedto lie along the' corners of the, container in its set-up condition,said extensions being secured flat against the inner faces of said sidewalls and serving to substantially reinforce the container whereby a 75board of minimum thickness may be employed in the construction of thecontainer, and a flanged closure for said container having projectionson at least two opposed sides thereof,

said projections lying in the plane of said closure and engaging beneaththe end edges of said extensions on two opposed side walls to holdhgidclosure -in' place.

4. In a container having a bottom and four side walls and being providedwith a closure having upwardly folded flaps thereon, the combination ofextensions on the upper edges of two '3 opposed side walls, weextensions being folded inwardly and secured to their respective sidewalls, and projecting portions disposed on at least two opposite edgesof said closure, said projecting portions lying in the plane of saidclosure and being adapted to be engaged beneath the bottom edges of saidextensions to hold said closure in position, said upwardly folded flapslying loosely in unsecured position against the outer surface of saidextensions. 7

